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Sati

For sati in Buddhism, see mindfulness.

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Dakshayani

In Hinduism, Satī, also called Dakshayani, is one of the daughters of Prasuti and Daksha. She loved Shiva, but her father Daksha forbade her marriage to Shiva. She married Shiva anyway, and Daksha got revenge by not inviting Shiva to a festival during his absence. Sati killed herself by self-immolation on a fire. After Shiva returned and found Sati's body, he killed and decapitated Daksha, later replacing his head with a goat's.

It is believed that angry Shiva performed the Tandava dance with Sati's burned body in his hands. In the process, the different body parts of Sati fell in different places on earth. These places, 51 in number, are called Shakti Peethas. They are places of pilgrimage. The 51 Shakti peethas are

Sr. No. Place Organ and Ornament Shakti Bhairava
1 Hingula The Suture On The Top Of The Head Kottvisha Bhimalochan
2 Sharkrar Eyes Mahishmardini Krodhish
3 Sugandha Nose Sunanda Trayambak
4 Kashmir Throat Mahamaya Trisandhyeshwar
5 Jwalamukhi Tongue Siddhida Unmat Bhairav
6 Jalandhar Breast Tripurmalini Bhishan
7 Vaiddyanath Heart Jaya Durga Vaiddyanath
8 Nepal Knee Mahamaya Kapali
9 Manas Right Hand Dakshapani Amar
10 Virja in Utkal Navel Vimla Jagannath
11 Gandaki Temple Gandaki Chakrapani
12 Bahula Left Arm Goddess Bahula Bhiruk
13 Ujjayini Wrist Mangal Chandika Kapilambar
14 Tripura Right Leg Tripur Sundari Tripuresh
15 Chahal Right Arm Bhawani Chandrashekhar
16 Tristrota Left Leg Bhramri Bhairaveshwar
17 Kamgiri (kamakhya in Assam) Genital Organ Kamakhya Umanand
18 Prayag Finger (Hand) Lalita Bhava
19 Jayanti Left Thigh Jayanti Kramadishwar
20 Yugaddya Great Toe (Right) Bhoot Dhatri Ksheer Khandak
21 Kalipeeth, Kolkota Right Toe Kalika Nakuleesh
22 Kireet Crown Vimla Sanwart
23 Varanasi Ear Ring Vishalakshi & Manikarni Kalbhairav
24 Kanyashram Back Sarvani Nimish
25 Kurukshetra Ankle Bone Savitri Sthanu
26 Manibandh Two Wristlets Gayatri Sarvanand
27 Shri Shail Neck Mahalaxmi Shambaranand
28 Kanchi Bone Devgarbha Ruru
29 Kalmadhav Buttock (Left) Kali Asitang
30 Shondesh Buttock (Right) Narmada Bhadrasen
31 Ramgiri Breast Shivani Chandbhairav
32 Vrindavan Ringlets Of Hair Uma Bhutesh
33 Shuchi Teeth (Upper Jaw) Narayani Sanhar
34 Panchsagar Teeth (Lower Jaw) Varahi Maharudra
35 Kartoyatat Talpa (Ornament) Arpana Vaman Bhairav
36 Shri Parvat Right Ankle Shri Sundari Sundaranand Bhairav
37 Vibhash Left Ankle Kapalini Sarvanand
38 Prabhas Stomach Chandrabhaga Vakratund
39 Bhairavparvat Upper Lip Avanti Lambkarna
40 Jansthal Chin (Two Parts) Bhramari Vikritaksh
41 Sarvashail Left Cheek Rakini Vatsnabh
42 Godavaritir Right Cheek Vishveshi Dandpani
43 Ratnavali Right Shoulder Kumari Shiva
44 Mithila Left Shoulder Uma Mahodar
45 Nalhati Tubular Bones Of The Feet Kalika Devi Yogesh
46 Karnat Ear Jayadurga Abhiru
47 Vakreshwar Mind Mahishmardini Vakranath
48 Yashor Hand & Foot Yashoreshwari Chand
49 Attahas Lips Phullara Vishvesh
50 Nandipur Necklace Nandini Nandikeshwar
51 Lanka Anklets Indrani Rakshaseshwar

Sati was reborn as Pārvatī (the daughter of the mountain or Parvata), and reappears as Shiva's consort. This story appears in detail in Tantra literature and in Kalidasa's Kumarasambhavam

Sati Savitri

Another woman with the title of Sati is Savitri. Savitri was the wife of Satyavan, who begged Yama (the God of Death), to restore her husband to life. Her dogged persistence caused Yama to grant her one wish, on the condition that the wish should not be to restore Satyavan's life. Then Savitri asked to have children from Satyavan, after which Yama had no choice but to restore his life. The Vata Savitri Vrata is performed to celebrate this event. Savitri thus symbolises chastity, boldness, perseverance and tactfulness.

The Social Practice

By extension from the mythic Sati, the term is also used for the death, voluntary or involuntary, of widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands in India. The term is also extended to refer to the widow herself. For this usage, the term is often written using the old English spelling of suttee. Though supposed to be voluntary, it is believed to have been often enforced on the widow by various social pressures, or by the use of drugs.

In Ramayana, after the death of Dasharatha Kausalya, Sumitra, Kaikeyi do not perform Sati. While Tara, wife of Vali, the monkey king performs Sati. In Mahabharata, Satyavati - wife of Shantanu; Ambike and Ambalike - wives of Vichitraveerya etc. do not perform Sati. Madri, second wife of Pandu performs Sati while Kunti, the first wife does not. The Tantras strictly condemn the practice of Sati. So it has been a practice which was a subject of great debate from earlier times.

In medival periods, due to widespread Islamic invasions and rampage that follows, Sati must have served as the best way to protect the widowed women from the invading armies. This practice when performed in large numbers by women of royal families was called Jauhar.

The practice has generally been restricted to certain castes and communities. Some accounts indicate that it may have been introduced from central Asia by Scythians, from whom Rajputs of Rajasthan are believed to be descended. Sati is known to have been practised in many different regions of India from medieval times, though the prevalence varied. Many rulers made efforts to ban or limit it, including the Mughal emperors. The practice was moderately common in Rajasthan and in parts of the Gangetic plain till the early 19th century, and a few hundred deaths were recorded each year then. At this time it was rather uncommon or even unknown in other parts of India.

It was banned in the Bengal Presidency on December 4, 1829, other East India Company lands shortly after, and in the last princely state to permit it, Jaipur in 1846. Instances however continue to occur occasionally to the present day. Various measures against it now include efforts to stop the 'glorification' of the dead women. This glorification often includes the erection of shrines to the dead, encouragement of pilgrimages to the site of the pyre, and an income to nearby villagers.

In 1988, Roop Kanwar allegedly immolated herself on the pyre of her husband in Rajasthan's Deorala village. The event quickly turned into a national case of outrage, pitting a modern Indian ideology against a traditional one. A much-publicised investigation led to the arrest of a large number of people from Deorala, said to be present at or participants in the ceremony. Eventually, 11 were charged. On January 31, 2004, a special court in Jaipur acquitted all of the 11 accused in the case observing that the prosecution had failed to prove charges that they glorified sati.

See also

Last updated: 05-21-2005 01:10:31